Replaceable wear members for protecting structural members such as those of a bucket or truck body are well known in the art. These replaceable wear members are retained by a variety of fastening methods. Most, if not all, of the heretofore fastening methods have shortcomings that cause them to be less than desirable.
For instance, welding has been frequently used to attach wear members. However, welding is expensive and time consuming and makes removal and replacement of the wear member an equally expensive and time consuming task. Various types of mechanical fasteners have also been used, but with varying degrees of success because of their complexity, unreliability and cost.
The primary features desired for a wear member are that it have a long life and be as completely used up as possible to minimize the amount of metal that has to be thrown away after it wears out. For the system for retaining the wear member, the desired features are that it be able to live in and be able to withstand the harsh environment in which it operates, that it be failure free throughout the useful life of the wear member, and that it permits quick and easy installation and removal of the wear member. Some of the prior known wear members and fastening systems provide some of these desired features, but lack others, which make them less than desirable.
The present invention is directed to overcome one or more of the problems as set forth above.